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Introduction: Fasting denotes abstinence from food or drink or both for well-being, ritualistic, and spiritual purposes. This study was conducted to explore the effect of Navratras fasting on anthropometric parameters, biochemical factors, and pro-inflammatory biomarkers. Materials and Methods: This study was a short-term longitudinal follow-up study conducted during Navratras (Oct 2020) in a residential medical college campus in western Maharashtra. Assessment of the participants based on anthropometry, biochemical, and pro-inflammatory markers was done at three-time points 7 days before the start of intermittent fasting (T1) (before the start of Navratras), at the end of intermittent fasting (the last day of the festival) (T2) (during Navratras), and 1 week after completion of intermittent fasting (T3) (after the end of Navratras). Results: A total of 50 subjects participated in the study, and the mean age of study participants was 33.6 ± 10 years. There was a significant reduction in body weight (P = 0.001), waist circumference (P = 0.001), and hip circumference (P = 0.05) during the intermittent fasting period (T2). Significantly lower levels of total cholesterol (P < 0.01) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) (P < 0.01) were observed in the T2 and T3 time points of sampling. However, a significant increase in TNF-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-8 levels was observed during the T2 phase (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The current exploratory study evaluating the importance of intermittent fasting during Navratras showed a significant reduction in certain anthropometric as well as biochemical parameters. It is recommended that intermittent fasting may be considered by individuals who are overweight and need to improve overall health. However, it is important that like any other weight-loss program, intermittent fasting should also be undertaken under medical supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: India is the home to almost 30% of total children aged 13 to 19 years. Road traffic injury dominates over all causes of unintentional injuries. Children's road safety is neglected issue in the planning and designing of roads in the urban towns of India where a third of a billion children travel to school every day. As India is motorizing rapidly, road traffic injuries are projected to increase in near future. In the present study, awareness regarding road safety issues and prevalence of self-reported road traffic injury incurred while commute to school was estimated in the school going children aged 14 to 18 years. Methods: A Crosssectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among three schools in Pune, Maharashtra India. The information was collected about mode of commute to/ from school including distance from home and understanding about road safety issues. The data was also collected about any road traffic injury incurred during commute to school in the past 12 months. Results: Total 398 children participated in the study of which 212 (53.3%) respondents were male. The mean age of the respondents was 15.5years (SD 1.1 years). The overall prevalence of selfreported road injury during journey to school in the last 12 months was 17.3% (95% CI, 13.75-21.42). A higher proportion of boys (18.9%) reported road injury than girls(15.6%).Children who walk (OR = 2.79; 95% CI 1.04-7.52) or travelled by autorickshaw (OR = 2.37; 95% CI 0.78-7.24) to school were more likely to report road injury than those who travelled by school bus/school van. Conclusions: A sixth of the children reported a road traffic injury in the past 12 months during school journeys in Pune district, Maharashtra. Road safety education may be made part of the syllabus of school going children. Children's road safety should be given utmost priority in any urban planning of roads, schools and streets in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: The study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of fecal calprotectin among spondyloarthritis (SpA) and its correlates among the Indian population. Methods: All newly diagnosed patients of SpA were enrolled in the study. The data were collected for socio-demographic, inflammatory markers, and disease activity at the time of diagnosis. Stool samples were collected, homogenized, and processed for measurement of fecal calprotectin levels using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Results: A total of 93 patients with 18 (19.4%) having peripheral SpA and 75 (80.6%) having axial SpA were included in the study. The average fecal calprotectin (FCP) level was 31.54 ± 30.83 mcg/g. The FCP levels were higher for the peripheral group (46.34 mcg/g vs. 28.16 mcg/g P value < 0.001). High FCP, more than 50 mcg/gm, was found in 24.75% of patients, 20% patients of Axial SpA group, and 44.4% in peripheral SpA. There was a statistically significant correlation between the FCP levels and BASFAI levels. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that a significant proportion of newly diagnosed patients of SpA would have subclinical gut inflammation as measured by FCP. Identifying this subset may be important for early treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) is a valuable longitudinal cohort study that tracks the health and demographic changes of a geographically defined population, serving as a platform for research and evidence-based policymaking. In India, there are nearly 20 HDSS sites covering diverse areas and populations totaling around two million. To foster collaboration, the Indian HDSS Network (IHN) was formed, comprising 19 sites from 16 institutes, covering a population of 1.5 million. The IHN aims to standardize data collection processes while allowing site-specific autonomy, generating high-quality longitudinal health, and demographic data. To ensure effective coordination, a governance structure with a rotating secretariat and working committee was proposed. The IHN envisions conducting robust multicentric research, supporting data-driven efforts to improve population health, and promoting research-policy synergy. The network's outcomes have the potential to optimize health research funding, generate epidemiological data, and provide evidence for public health policy. Collaboration within the IHN strengthens HDSS sites in newer technologies and community-based research, fostering capacity building. Seed funding is being sought to formalize and support the day-to-day functioning of the network, which holds promise for advancing population health and informing policymaking in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pressure-induced alopecia is an uncommon type of alopecia. It can occur in both scarring as well as non-scarring form and occurs due to ischemia resulting from prolonged head immobilisation during surgery or hospitalisation. The patchy hair loss generally involves convexities of scalp specially vertex and occiput. The hair loss is usually noticed 3 -28 days after the inciting event and regrowth of hair occurs between 1 - 4 months. Objective: To describe trichoscopic features of pressure alopecia and compare it with the closest differential, alopecia areata. Methodology: It is a retrospective observational study. Trichoscopic features of six cases of pressure alopecia seen during the study period were compared with alopecia areata and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Results: The study had 30 cases, six cases of pressure alopecia and 24 cases of alopecia areata. The mean age of patients with pressure alopecia and alopecia areata was 45.16 and 29.08 years respectively. Comedone- like black dots, black dots and area of scarring were statistically significant for pressure alopecia while exclamation mark hairs were significant for alopecia areata. Conclusion: Trichoscopy is a non-invasive test for diagnosis of alopecia and "Comedone-like black dots" are unique trichoscopic feature of pressure alopecia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]